The Dreamer
by Optimistic Insomniac
Summary: When Phineas and Isabella go see a new movie during their Freshman year, Phineas finds a new inspiration in the movie and his developing love for his best friend. But a glitch in their new machine changes their story from a new adventure to a lesson of sacrifice, love, and loss. For all those Phinabella shippers out there.
1. Chapter 1: After School

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please don't judge too harshly. I do appreciate constructive criticism, advice, and other things that could help me become a better writer. I write omniscient because I want you to feel how the characters feel. But you probably won't because I'm not very talented.**

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><p>It was Friday. School had just ended and the five friends were walking home. It was cool out being October, and the leaves were starting to turn brilliant, warm colours.<p>

"What should we do today, guys?" Phineas asked his companions. "We haven't built anything since the last day of summer."

No one answered. High school has really put a dent on the group's friendship. Phineas and Isabella have all the same classes together, but everyone else had different schedules.

"I have math homework," Buford finally answered. "Jeet said he is going to help me."

"I never agreed to anything of the sorts, Buford!" Baljeet replied. Even though Buford stopped bullying, he still occasionally picked on his best friend.

"Maybe we can go see a movie?" Isabella suggested. "I heard there's a new Stumbleberry Finkbat movie coming out today." Like always, Isabella knows exactly what's going on. She keeps up to date with the latest movies, video games, books, technology, news, and anything else you could think of.

"I suppose we could do that," Phineas thought out loud, "but I was really hoping we could do something like old times."

The friends walked in silence the rest of the way to Buford's house. Baljeet went with him because he apparently has to help Buford.

"Text us when you're done!" Phineas called after them as he, Ferb, and Isabella continued walking.

"So… is that a yes or no for the movies?" Isabella asked. She knew that if Phineas agreed, Ferb would most likely be there as well. She lowered her expectations even more over the past three years.

"Yeah, we'll go. Maybe the movie will inspire us to build something tomorrow."

The three friends stopped in front of the Flynn-Fletcher house.

"Bye guys," Isabella started. "See you at six?"

"We'll be there."

Isabella walked across the street toward her house. Phineas watched her go. He then realized Ferb left without him, and he made his way to his house. Phineas caught up to Ferb while going upstairs to their room. Ferb got started on his homework right away, like always, but Phineas just flopped down on his bed, startling a sleeping Perry.

Phineas just groaned and didn't do anything for a couple of minutes. Ferb got fed up after five minutes of disturbances from his step-brother. He knew something was up, Phineas was never this miserable.

"If you keep this up brother, I'm going to have to tape your mouth closed," Ferb said without looking up from his work. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Ferb spun around in his chair to face his younger brother. He stared at him for who knows how long until Phineas cracked up.

"Stop it Ferb!" he laughed. "I can't be miserable with you looking at me like that!"

"Tell me what's wrong."

"No. Go away," Phineas tried to make a straight face, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. Not with Ferb watching him like that, with one eyebrow arched. He wears that 'unconvinced' look a lot around Phineas now.

"Tell. Me," Ferb has always been persuasive, it's just a gift he has.

"Alright! Fine!" Phineas sat up and threw his hands in the air as if a cop just caught him committing a crime. "It's just that we haven't been hanging out with the gang that much lately. I want to build something with them before things go too far."

Ferb had thought this was the case. He remembered something Isabella had said to him earlier that week. She thought that Phineas wasn't acting himself anymore. Ferb had told her that he was just stressed out about their first year of high school. But Isabella was right, she seems to know Phineas better than Ferb does. She really does care about him.

An idea popped into Ferb's head. "Well, aren't you going to the movies with Isabella tonight?"

"Yeah, but aren't you coming too?"

"No, I don't like Stumbleberry Finkbat anymore."

Phineas was surprised, his older brother used to love fantasy movies. Especially the Stumbleberry Finkbat series.

"So it's just me, Isabell, Buford, and Baljeet, huh? Well that is if we can talk Baljeet into coming. I know Buford will definitely want to go."

While Phineas kept on rambling on about who-knows-what, Ferb texted Buford:

**Ferb**: _YOU CAN'T SEE STUMBLEBERRY FINKBAT TONIGHT._

Buford replied:

**Buford**: _ WHY NOT BEAN POLE MCGEE? I WANNA SEETHAT!_

**Ferb**: _IT'S FOR ISABELLA'S SAKE._

**Buford**: _OH I SEE… BUT YOU OWE ME BIG TIME!_

**Ferb**: _I KNOW. I'LL PAY FOR YOU TO GO TOMORROW, AND I'LL BUY YOUR POPCORN._

**Buford**: _HA! I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU TO BEAT THE BOSS IN JUMP AND DUCK! BUT YOU CAN STILL PAY!_

**Buford**:_ GTG, BJ'S MAD AT MY "LACK OF FOCUS" WHATEVER THAT MEANS._

Ferb put his phone away and tuned into what Phineas was talking about.

"…and if we split the cost evenly with five people, it would be even, and that's why you should come with us, Ferb!" Phineas looked at the time and realized he had been talking for over five minutes, "Wow, I sure do talk a lot." He laughed.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Phineas told his brother. He was hoping it was the mail, he had ordered a new hammer a couple of days ago. He ran down the stairs and opened the door to see not the mailman, but Isabella standing there.

"Oh, hi Isabella!" Phineas welcomed his best friend. "What brings you to Casa de moi? I did that wrong, didn't I? Well, come on in!" He stepped aside to let the girl in.

"I lost my key and my mom's running late. Do you mind if I stay over for a while?"

"Not at all! Make yourself at home!"

Isabella followed Phineas into the kitchen. Every time she came over, Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher would treat her with a different snack.

"Hello Isabella," Linda greeted her.

"Hi Mrs. Flynn-Fletcher, what's on the menu tonight?"

"I was thinking chocolate-mint-crème pie. Would you like some?"

"Yes please," Isabella just realized how hungry she was, she didn't eat lunch.

Phineas knew this was the perfect time to ask his mom if he could go to the movies, she would never say no if Isabella was there.

"Mom, is it OK if I go to the movies with Isabella tonight?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure Phineas," Linda handed them both a slice of pie. "Is Ferb going too?"

"No, he doesn't want to."

Isabella dropped her fork. "Oh, sorry!" She leaned down to pick it up. She couldn't believe that Ferb wasn't coming with them, does he just not want to go, or is there another reason?

Just then, Isabella's phone rang. Isabella was in so much shock, she didn't answer until the fourth ring when she realized everyone was staring at her.

"Hello?" she asked, her face red with embarrassment.

"Isa! Where are you?!" it was her mom. "I've been home for half an hour, where are you?!"

"Mom, I was just there five minutes ago. And I'm at Phineas'. I'll be home soon." She hung up before her overdramatic mother could continue.

"I have to go home now," Isabella said as she got up.

"At least stay to finish your pie," Phineas told her, his mouth full of chocolate crème.

She completely forgot about the pie. Isabella sat back down and quickly ate the rest of the pie on her plate.

"Bye, thank you," Isabella said as she walked out the front door.

"Bye, and don't forget, the movie's at six! It won't be the same without you there!" Phineas shouted after her.

Isabella stopped in her tracks. That was the closest thing to a romantic sentence that Phineas has ever said to her. Phineas didn't know that what he said sounded anything but platonic. He is oblivious.

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><p><strong>AN: There will be plenty more to come, so please follow the story. I plan for this to be a long fanfic. I will try my best to publish a new chapter every day.**


	2. Chapter 2: Impatience is Key

**A/N: Hi, sorry I didn't publish a chapter yesterday, I had family over, but no harm done, you're reading this now, so that's a thing! I would also like you to know that this takes place two years after the last canon episode (Night of the Living Pharmacist), so in February, when Act Your Age Comes out, this never happened. I hope that makes sense to you, because I tend to over-complicate things and it hardly makes sense to myself.**

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><p>After closing the door behind Isabella, Phineas went upstairs to his shared room. He walked in and Ferb was just finishing his homework.<p>

"I wish I was doing something, don't you, Ferb?" Phineas asked his step-brother as he sat down on his bed.

Ferb nodded and opened his laptop. It was only 3:30, still another two and a half hours until the movie. Slowly, a smile formed on Phineas' face.

"Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!"

"What is it this time?" Ferb asked sarcastically. Although Ferb hasn't spoken much a few years ago, he talks quite a lot now. But definitely not as much as his chatter-box brother. "A robot that does your homework? A ray that makes you invisible?"

"No, but that would be cool…"

"Phineas…" Ferb gave the red head a warning tone.

"I meant a machine that can speed up time. Not like time travel though, because I mean, been there, done that. I mean like a fast forward button on life."

Ferb was shocked. Phineas used to love every day, and experience everything, good or bad. What happened to Phineas, and who is this imposter? "I don't like where you're going with this, what are you planning, Flynn?"

"Not much, I just want to see the movie sooner," Phineas paused for a second. "Wait, what were you thinking?"

"N-nothing! Never mind, it's just too weird to say."

Phineas ignored him. "But there's one flaw to my plan," he started.

"One flaw," Ferb muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Phineas didn't notice. "If we start it now, we'll finish it by the time the movie starts. You know what, let's just visit Candace and Jeremy instead."

Candace turned 19 three months ago. Jeremy got an apartment last month, and Candace moved in with him. Since then, Phineas has only seen his sister once, and spoke to her three times over the phone.

Considering the fact that Phineas and Ferb were only fourteen, and still couldn't 'legally' drive, they took the bus. The two boys got on the bus as soon as they got to the bus stop on the end of their street, and they rode in silence. The bus finally stopped in front of the weird shaped, purple building downtown. Jeremy's apartment was on the fourth floor.

Yet again, the elevator was broken, so the boys had to take the stairs. When they found the apartment, they knocked on the door, and awkwardly watched a pharmacist noisily carry a box of spare parts up the stairs.

"You know Ferb, that man looks kind of familiar, but I can't put my finger on it," Phineas told him.

"Oh, that's Vanessa's father," Ferb replied.

The door finally opened, and there stood Candace.

"Phineas? Ferb? What are you doing here?" she asked confusedly.

"We were bored," Phineas replied.

"_He_ was bored," corrected Ferb.

Phineas noticed that Candace looked rather stressed. As he walked in behind Ferb, he saw why. Sitting on the couch next to Jeremy, was Suzy Johnson. Last year, Candace had told her family that she doesn't trust the little girl once again. The only reason that Phineas believed her was because Buford said she 'gave him the willies'.

The boys sat down on the couch across from Jeremy. The four teenagers talked and laughed while Suzy tried to look cute and innocent. She wasn't going to fool Phineas again.

An hour and a half passed by before they knew it.

"Well, we need to go now, Candace," Phineas told his older sister.

"OK, well, have fun at the movies!" Candace felt happy for Isabella when Ferb told her about their movie 'date'.

"Are you sure you want to fix my laptop?" Jeremy asked the boys. "You don't have to-"

"We insist!" Phineas replied quickly. He really needed something to do.

Before Jeremy could object again, Phineas ran down the hall with Ferb running after him with Jeremy's laptop. The boys made it to the bus stop out of breath. They got on the first bus that lead to Maple Dr. They made it home around 5:20, and walked into their house to find dinner ready for them.

Tonight's dinner was fried chicken. They sat down and began to hungrily eat their meal as soon as their parents did. Phineas and Ferb both picked up their glasses of milk at the same time and took a sip just as Linda said:

"So Phineas, this movie with Isabella tonight, is it a date?"

The two boys choked on their milk; Phineas from shock and embarrassment, Ferb from laughter.

Once Phineas recovered, he shouted his answer, "NO!" his face was as red as the ketchup on his plate. This caused Ferb to choke some more. "Of course not! We're just friends! And besides, Buford will be there!"

"Oh, alright, it was just a question," his mother said, trying to calm him down.

Meanwhile, Ferb was still trying to recover from his laughing fit. His face was now the same colour as Phineas', but for a completely different reason. Phineas, seeing this, had just stood up, and walked upstairs to his room. He is supposed to meet Isabella at the cinema in 20 minutes. He grabbed his orange sweater and his wallet, and made his way to the bus stop.

The bus ride was 15 minutes long, and when he got off the bus, Phineas saw Isabella waiting outside the front doors

"Hi Isabella," Phineas greeted her.

"Hey Phineas," Isabella replied.

"Should we wait for Buford, or do you think he'll meet us inside?"

"Um, I think he can find us on his own," Isabella started. "And besides, he might already be inside."

The two friends walked in together and Phineas graciously paid for both of their tickets. All of a sudden, Phineas heard the familiar platypus sound that meant that he had a text. It read:

**Buford**: _YO DINNERBELL, I'M NOT GOING TO SEE STUMBLEBERRY FINKBAT._

Phineas was surprised, Buford loved the Stumbleberry Finkbat movies, and he's just passing up the opportunity to see the eighth one? Phineas continued to think about this as he led Isabella into theater 4.

"Who was it?" Isabella asked her crush as they were walking up the stairs to find a seat.

"Buford," the red head replied. "He said he isn't coming."

Isabella stopped in her tracks yet again. _Buford isn't coming. Ferb isn't coming. Baljeet isn't coming… that means that I'll be alone with Phineas for two whole hours!_

"Isabella?" Phineas interrupted her thoughts. "Why are you just standing there? You're blocking the stairs."

Sure enough, there was a line of people behind her, impatiently waiting for a seat. She moved out of the way and followed Phineas into one of the rows. She hoped that Phineas wouldn't notice her blushing cheeks. The two of them sat down, right in the middle, then the movie began.

"Wow, just in time!" Phineas said, a bit too loud.

"Shhhhh!" everyone in the crowd, including Isabella hushed him.

Phineas turned his head to look at the girl sitting beside him, and she had a playful 'sorry' look on her face. It was Phineas' turn to become bright red again.

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><p><strong>AN: In case if you haven't noticed, I try to make scene transitions run as smoothly as possible. If it isn't running as smoothly as I think it is, can you please inform me? And thank you for the great reviews Bovrilcat and JRuss93. Have a cupcake!**


	3. Chapter 3: After the Movies

**A/N: Hey guys! I typed this up yesterday, but I didn't have enough time to publish it, so here you go. If all goes well, I might have another chapter up later today. (If I manage to actually figure out what my homework is). I do apologize for the short chapter, I wrote part of this story a while ago, but I shortened the chapters because the first three chapters was really one in my notebook. Enjoy!**

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><p>The movie was good, and both Phineas and Isabella were in a good mood. They walked out of the theater doors and waited for Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro to come and pick Isabella up.<p>

"You know you don't have to wait with me," Isabella told Phineas.

"I know, but I'll wait anyways," Phineas smiled, "besides, my bus doesn't come for another 10 minutes."

"Alright," Isabella smiled back. "What do you want to talk about?"

Phineas thought for a second. "What was your favourite part of the movie?"

"I don't know," Isabella started, "maybe the part when Sain broke free. What about you?"

Phineas was overwhelmed by this question. He wasn't expecting that. He needed to think up something quick. "Uh-uh, y-yeah, me too," he stumbled.

This caused Isabella to giggle. Phineas smiled. Who knows how long they were standing there, smiling, looking into each other's eyes, when Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro pulled up.

"Isa!" she called for her daughter.

Neither she nor Phineas heard her.

"Come on Isa! We need to go!" she shouted louder.

The two friends turned their heads with a start. They didn't notice Vivian pull up.

"Bye Isabella," Phineas said, his cheeks red once again.

"Bye," Isabella replied, hiding her reddened face from her mother as she got into the car. Then they drove off, leaving Phineas to wait for his bus.

When the bus finally came, he stepped on with a lot of things on his mind. _Isabella was smiling after the movie… _Phineas thought. _Did she really like it? Was she excited to leave? Is she inspired like I am?_ Phineas was thinking too hard, that he almost missed his stop. He ran to the front of the bus and jumped off. He ran into his house, up the stairs, and sat down at his desk, out of breath.

"So, how was the movie?" Ferb asked his younger brother. He hoped Phineas wouldn't spoil the movie for him.

"It was really good. Buford was a no-show, so it was just me and Isabella."

"Really?" Ferb was trying to sound shocked.

"Yeah, it was strange. I thought that you two loved fantasy movies. But I think Isabella liked it."

"Really?" now Ferb was trying not to sound sarcastic. "So how did everything else go?"

"It was fine. I paid for Isabella's ticket, and she rested her head on my shoulder, but I didn't mind, it just felt… natural. And I held her hand during the sad parts. But she was smiling after the movie finished. I think she was excited to leave."

"Phineas, you little oblivious-ugh!" Ferb shouted in frustration. "You know for a famous inventor, you don't know very much!"

"What? Why?" Phineas was shocked, Ferb hardly ever yells.

Ferb rolled his eyes and pulled out Jeremy's computer.

"Ferb, tell me! I'm confused!" now Phineas was yelling.

"I know! And you have been for the past five years!"

Phineas calmed down for a second. "Wait, what?"

Ferb realized that Phineas really wanted answers now. He might as well tell him now so that he or Isabella won't get hurt later.

"Well, you see… Isabella-"

Ferb was cut off as his father opened the door. "What's going on in here?" he asked calmly, staying in the hallway. There was no need to go in, Phineas and Ferb always made a lot of noise.

"Nothing dad," Phineas replied.

"I heard yelling."

"It was the computer."

"Alright, carry on then," Lawrence left the room.

Ferb decided against telling Phineas about Isabella after all._ Something might happen naturally tomorrow._ Ferb thought._ Luckily Phineas forgot about it._

Phineas got started on some blueprints for tomorrow. _It's perfect!_ He thought. _If we can get this done, by… let's say lunch, then we can be there and back by nine tomorrow! We just need a power source strong enough…_

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you johnmiami6315, I really appreciate the nice review. Thank you TAGirlie, I will try to read your stories when I have the chance. And thank you JRuss93, I try to express the characters' reactions and emotions the best I can. You all get more cupcakes!**

**I hope that this short chapter is good, I was planning on breaking the fourth wall during Izzy and Phin's conversation, but that just isn't my style.**


	4. Chapter 4: Morning Rush

**A/N: So, What do you know? I managed to get another chapter done today, and still successfully avoid my homework. I hope you all had a good day today. I was having a good day until I nearly fainted. I won't bore you with that story though. But it's a good thing I didn't faint, because I wouldn't be allowed on the computer, and this chapter wouldn't exist today. Enjoy the hilarity of Phin's morning routine. XD. Please don't blame... I try too hard... enjoy...**

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><p>When Saturday morning finally arrived, Phineas beat his alarm clock by one minute like always. His parents thought he was a very weird teenager. What teen intentionally wakes up at 6:59 on the weekend?<p>

"Ferb?" Phineas got out of bed to wake his brother up. "Wake up!"

Ferb rolled over. "No. Let me sleep forever."

"But Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!"

"If you're talking about that fast-forward thing, I'm not helping you," Ferb said groggily. "And I most definitely will not wake up for that."

"No no no. We're not doing that. We're gonna build… a PORTAL."

Ferb, hearing this, immediately sat up. "A portal?"

"Yes. A portal to an alternate dimension!"

Perry's eyes suddenly flew open, and he gasped. The two boys turned their heads to look at their pet platypus.

"Don't worry boy," Phineas said soothingly as he walked back to his bed. "It was just a bad dream." Phineas picked Perry up and walked back to Ferb.

"A portal to where?" asked Ferb.

"To the Stumbleberry Finkbat realm," Phineas said simply. "Although you probably won't want to go, seeing as you don't like Stumbleberry Finkbat anymore…"

Ferb was starting to get excited, but he had to hide it. "Oh. No, I want to go. It would be an interesting experience. When do we start?"

"As soon as the gang can get over here!" Phineas was really excited to build this.

_I hope that this will get Phin to act himself again,_ Ferb thought. He got out of bed and texted Buford; he needed to find out what time the movie is at. Meanwhile, Phineas was pulling out his blueprints from the night before.

"Phineas," Ferb started. "What would you say if I told you that I couldn't help you until 11:00?"

Phineas looked up. "What?"

"I can't help until later, I have something to do."

"And you're sure that you'll be back to help at exactly 11:00?"

"I'll be back by 10:59. No later."

Phineas thought for a second. "Alright, but as soon as you get back, you're finishing it with me."

"Deal," Ferb agreed.

The two boys went downstairs for some breakfast. Their parents weren't awake yet, so they helped themselves to omelets, oatmeal, pancakes, and bacon. They always prepared a big breakfast on Saturdays.

By the time they finished eating and cleaning up their mess, their parents came downstairs, ready for work. It was 8:30. Ferb told his dad that he was going to the grocery store to get more food. He didn't want Phineas to find out he was really just going to the movies. But he'll quickly stop at the store and pick up some eggs on the way back.

As soon as Ferb left, Phineas called Isabella.

"Hello?" Isabella picked up on the third ring. She sounded really tired.

"Hi Isabella! It's me, Phineas!"

"Oh! Hi Phineas!" Isabella sounded a lot more awake now. "What's up?" She was trying to act casual.

"I was wondering," Phineas started "if you would want to come over today. We're going to do something huge!"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you yet. You still have to get here and say your catchphrase!" Phineas said humorously.

"Haha, very funny," some of Isabella's sarcasm. She picked it up from Ferb. "It isn't a catchphrase. I just like to know what you're doing."

"Well, it sounds like a catchphrase in my book. You'll find out what it is later. Don't worry, you'll love it!"

"Alright, I'll be there in five!"

And with that, they hung up. Phineas decided to call Baljeet next.

"Hello?" Baljeet answered.

"Hey Jeet," Phineas said. "Listen, come over as soon as possible! We're getting to gang back together!" Phineas hung up. With Baljeet, there was no need for conversation, he just knew what was up, whether you tell him or not.

Phineas dialed Buford's number lastly. He waited. After the fifth ring, he heard Buford's voicemail:

_"__YO! WHY'RE YOU CALLING ME?! IF I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU, I WOULD HAVE CALLED YOU FIRST! IF YOU'RE ONE OF MY FRIENDS, I… APOLOGIZE? JEET, YOU SURE THIS IS RIGHT?"_

_BEEP!_

Phineas had mixed emotions right now. Happy because in about five minutes, he'll be building his greatest invention ever. Frustrated because Buford didn't pick up. But he was also happy that he remembered to hold his phone away from his ear during Buford's screaming voicemail.

"Hey Buford," Phineas left a message. "Come over as soon as you get this."

Phineas hung up his phone and looked down. He began thinking about his invention, the Ferb and Buford, then Isabella. _She said she'd be here in five minutes…_ Phineas thought. _She said that three minutes ago… she'll be here in two minutes! And I'm still in my pajamas._

That realization came and slapped him across the face. Phineas ran upstairs to his room and quickly got changed into his striped long sleeved shirt and jeans. _One minute left!_ He ran into the bathroom and brushed his teeth while trying to comb his hair at the same time. Phineas heard the doorbell ring. He ran downstairs as fast as he could, and opened the door panting.

"BALJEET!" Phineas shouted.

"What?" Baljeet asked bewildered.

"I thought you were Isabella!"

"It is a good thing I am not." Baljeet replied to this.

"Why…?"

"Look at yourself," Baljeet walked Phineas to the closest mirror.

Phineas gasped. His shirt was on backwards, he had toothpaste smudged all over his face, and his hair was a mess.

"And to add to the problem," Baljeet said with a helpful smile on his face. "Isabella just left her house."

"WHAT?!" Phineas screamed. "Distract her for me!" Phineas ran upstairs to finish getting ready, while Baljeet just stood there thinking:

_Wow. I have never seen Phineas this anxious before. I have never seen him care about his appearance before also. Why would he be acting like this…? _Baljeet gasped. _Maybe I shouldn't say anything to him…_

The doorbell rang.

"Tell her I'm getting my tools!" Phineas shouted from upstairs.

Baljeet walked back to the front door and opened it to greet the girl.

"Hello Isabella."

"Hey Baljeet," Isabella walked in. "Where's Phineas?"

"Oh, he is getting changed," Baljeet laughed. "His attire was not quite adequate."

"Baljeet!" Phineas yelled as he came down the stairs.

Isabella giggled as Phineas came in with a reddened face.

"Hey Isabella, sorry for Baljeet. Come on in guys." Phineas lead his friends into the dining room as Baljeet muttered:

"No regrets…"

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><p><strong>AN: I hope this second chapter today makes up for the short one earlier. I couldn't think of how to end this chapter without making it too long, so if you don't like the end of this chapter, please don't blame me, I still feel a bit light headed.**


	5. Chapter 5: Where

**A/N: Hi, happy Remembrance Day if you are Canadian, and Happy Veteran's Day if you're American. Lest we forget. I'm sorry, I'm not good with this kind of thing. I'm also sorry about how long it took me to post this. You would think that I wouldn't get distracted by the tiniest things anymore, but I guess people never change! *derp face* Enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>On the table in the dining room, was a couple of blueprints, a few toolboxes, and a LOT of spare parts.<p>

"So now can I ask?" Isabella asked impatiently.

"Go ahead," Phineas replied.

"What'cha doin'?"

"Today, we are going to build the greatest thing unknown to man. Something a lot of people want. Something that will liven up our lives once again. Today, we are building…" Phineas paused for dramatic effect.

"Well, do not leave us hanging!" Baljeet yelled. He couldn't take it anymore.

"…a portal."

Isabella gasped. "A portal to where?"

"To the Stumbleberry Finkbat realm," Phineas replied. "Now comes the hard part."

"What's the hard part?"

"Convincing Jeet here, to stay," the red head laughed.

"Oh I am staying!" Baljeet pronounced. "I may not care that much for Stumbleberry Finkbat, but there is no way that I am passing up on this opportunity!"

"Alright, let's start!"

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><p>The machine turned out great, it was small and compact so that it can be taken with them into the other dimension. Everything was done except they still needed a power source strong enough, and there were a few minor bugs only Ferb could fix.<p>

_Where is Ferb anyway?_ Phineas thought. _He's late! It's 11:00! He said 10:59!_

Just as the clock switched to 11:01, Ferb stepped through the door.

"Wow, impressive!" Ferb said as he saw the incomplete portal in their backyard. He never thought that such a powerful machine could be so small, he really was impressed. Phineas, however, was not.

"You're late"

"Seriously?" Ferb asked. Then he thought about how he was slacking off after the movie. He should have at least tried to be on time, Phineas remembers _everything_. "It's just two minutes!"

"Two minutes that could have been spent in another dimension."

Ferb rolled his eyes. "What do I have to do?"

"Fix up a few bugs in the machine. I'm going to make us lunch," he took the eggs that Ferb brought home from the store. "Have you heard from Buford today?"

"No-"

"I heard my name!" Ferb was cut off by a familiar raspy voice that could only belong to Buford. "Can I come in now Ferb?"

Ferb instantly brought his hand to his face and shook his head. Bufford walked in and didn't bother with greetings.

"I'm so pumped up! You need power, right? Well I found these batteries earlier today!" Buford dragged in about five big batteries.

"Buford, these are batteries that you would find in a car," Baljeet told him.

"Where did you get those?" Isabella asked him.

"Don't check your garages…" Buford replied.

Phineas rolled his eyes at the eggs he was whisking. _Of course Buford took batteries from all of our cars. He loves inventions almost as much as I do. But those car batteries would make an excellent power source that would be easy enough to convert to smaller batteries. Maybe we should make some solar panels just in case…_

As Phineas was thinking, Isabella came up beside him and took the whisk from his hand.

"Egg salad?" She asked as she started to whisk the eggs herself. She didn't look up.

"Yeah." Phineas replied as he moved on to chop vegetables instead.

"So why a portal?"

"I don't know," Phineas replied. "I just felt like that this would be our greatest invention yet. But it would be really cool, and the movie last night was really good, I just want to experience that myself. Is that a good enough reason?"

"Yes, that was a perfect reason," Isabella put down the whisk. "Is there anything else you want me to do? Like, for lunch, I mean."

"No, you don't have to do anything if you don't want to. I didn't need you to help with lunch, it's my treat every week. Just relax, you worked hard today."

"Alright, but when your egg salad turns out bad, don't' blame me," she laughed. "I like helping, it makes me feel important."

"You _are_ important." Phineas persisted. "Now go and make yourself useful, and relax"

Isabella walked back toward the dining room.

"And Isabella?" Phineas stopped her.

"Yes…?" Isabella blushed.

Phineas smiled as he looked into her eyes. "Don't criticize my egg salad."

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><p><strong>AN: I'm also sorry about the short chapter. This is all I have written in my notebook, and I have writer's block now...yay... I now realize how many apologies I'm saying in my author's notes, so I apologize for that as well. (Oops) Thank you again to TAGirlie, I wish upon you more cupcakes. Have a nice, brightly lit, optimistic day (or night now... but whatever XD)!**


	6. Chapter 6: A Bumpy Ride

**A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't posted a chapter in a week and a half! But I'm not going to bother with excuses right now. i hope this rushed chapter is ok. I really truly am sorry. Enjoy! (I'm sorry)**

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><p>After everyone finished their egg salad, they dragged the car batteries into the backyard. As soon as they get connected, the machine would be done.<p>

"Guys, before we go," Phineas started as Ferb and Buford hooked up the batteries. "I think we should leave our phones behind for two reasons: one, because they'll be useless where we're heading anyways; and two, because they'd most likely get fried."

"Wait," Buford said, looking up from what he was doing. "You want us to use a machine with the possibility to fry a phone?" Buford was shocked, usually their inventions were safe. Usually.

"No, no, no!" Phineas laughed. "We put a safety on it."

"So if there is a slight chance of electrocution," Baljeet added, "we would be perfectly fine."

"Fine…" Buford mumbled as he got back to work.

"Are we all ready?" Phineas asked his friends.

"Yep."

"Alright!" Phineas said as he stepped in front of the ray. Everyone followed. "Be prepared for a bumpy ride." He reached for Isabella's hand, but she pulled him into a hug instead. Phineas put his arm around her waist.

Ferb pressed a button, and they were blasted with a blue ray. They were gone.

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><p>Days, hours, minutes – no, maybe seconds – passed by, and all the colours surrounding the five friends melded together to make the purest of white. Nobody could see, the brilliant white was too blinding.<p>

Phineas began to feel light-headed. _It could be a side effect from the ray._ He thought. _Or maybe from the white._ He could still feel Isabella's arms wrapped around him. _Good, she's safe._

Isabella was also beginning to feel light-headed. _Phineas is hugging me back!_ She was starting to lose consciousness. Isabella tightened her arms around Phineas even more, to stabilize herself. She felt him pull her even closer, then the world went black.

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><p>Isabella woke up about twenty minutes later, to find herself in a forest. She turned her head and saw Phineas, unconscious, leaning against a tree with her. He still clung to her like his life depended on it. She smiled.<p>

Isabella looked around and took in her surroundings. The forest she was in was lush, bright, full of wildlife, and somewhat mysterious. Not unlike the forest in Stumbleberry Finkbat. In fact, it seemed almost identical.

Isabella realized that she couldn't see Ferb, Buford, or Baljeet anywhere. _Where are they?_ She frantically looked around. _We didn't get separated, did we?_

All of a sudden, she saw a quick flash of green. Then, a bright yellow light blinded Isabella.

"Isabella…?" a voice asked.

She recognized that British accent. It was Ferb coming from the other side of the bush. Isabella sighed with relief.

"Ferb?" she asked, slightly confused when she saw him.

Ferb was wearing golden body armour that made his bright, green hair stand out in the forest. Underneath the armour was a brown long-sleeved shirt, and brown pants.

"Where did you get the armour?" Isabella asked him. "Is that real gold?"

"Gold plated," he replied. "I woke up with it. What about you? Is that real silver?"

Isabella gave her friend a puzzled look.

"Your outfit," Ferb said.

Isabella looked down at herself and was shocked at what she saw. She was wearing a light-brown, tight fitted t-shirt, with silver shoulder pads, and chest plate over top. She had on a dark-brown pleated skirt, similar to Ferb's shirt in colour. Her legs were covered with brown boots with heels so high, she would probably break her neck if she stood up. The tops of the boots were rimmed with silver, and there were silver spikes along the backs.

The most shocking part of Isabella's new attire was the silver belt with a collection of uncovered knives hanging from it. They hung down on to her skirt.

"Y-yes…" Isabella finally replied.

Phineas stirred beside Isabella, and opened his eyes.

"It worked!" he said as he saw the forest he was in.

"Of course it worked," Ferb answered. "Have we ever built something that failed?"

Phineas turned to see his brother in the gold armour.

"Ferb!" Phineas laughed. "You look like a knight!" He was then aware of Isabella beside him, their arms still wrapped around each other. He turned, and saw her. "Isabella…" he was speechless. "Woah… You look…" Phineas couldn't finish his sentence.

Isabella's face turned bright red. Phineas was still staring at her with an awe-struck look.

_Buford, Baljeet…_ Phineas thought. _Where are they?_

Phineas released Isabella, and helped her to her feet. She could handle those heels surprisingly well.

Now that Isabella could get a better view of Phineas, she noticed that he had no armour on at all. He wore navy blue jeans that made his legs look a mile long. His usual orange striped shirt was replaced with a maroon jacket with long coattails reaching down to his ankles. If you looked closely, the buttons on his jacket had a mystical, purple shimmer to them.

"Where are the guys?" Phineas asked Ferb.

"I don't know."

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><p><strong>AN: I'm apologizing again for a short chapter, I rushed this one, and I feel rally bad. If you think my constant apologizing is too annoying, please tell me so I will stop. Thank you Bovrilcat and dbzgtfan2004 for your nice reviews. And thank you JRuss93 for yours. Isn't it ironic how as soon as you say that I'm posting a lot of chapters, I don't for a while? Hahaha... sorry... Have some cookies.**


	7. Chapter 7: It's a Long Way Down

**A/N: I am sooooooooooo sorry I haven't posted a chapter in so long! If it makes you feel any better, I'm dying inside because of the guilt. I hope you all had happy holidays because I don't know what you celebrate. Also happy new years. I plan to get a lot more done in the next month or so even though I have finals. So without further or do, I give you chapter 7!**

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><p>"They have to be somewhere nearby," Isabella suggested.<p>

"Maybe we should look for them," Phineas said. "Or do you think they'll find us?"

"I think it would be easy enough to find them," Ferb pointed out. "I mean, I was only on the other side of the bush."

Out of nowhere, a loud, high-pitched scream echoed through the forest.

"Baljeet!" the trio recognized the voice in an instant.

They ran through the trees, following the source of the scream. They finally found Baljeet. Up in a tree…

"Hey Baljeet," Phineas laughed, looking up at his horrified friend.

"What'cha doin'?" Isabella added her catchphrase to add to the scene.

Ferb couldn't help but laugh at this. His laughter caused Phineas and Isabella to go into all-out laughter along with him.

"Oh, hello guys," Baljeet said calmly, looking down at his laughing friends. "In case if you have not noticed, I am STUCK IN A TREE!" Baljeet was yelling now. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE! I AM GOING TO FAINT!"

Ferb realized that Baljeet was being serious, and he forced himself to stop laughing. _Why a tree?_ thought Ferb. _Why does Baljeet always get stuck in trees?_

"Hang on, we'll get you down…" Ferb shouted, "…somehow," he muttered that last part to himself.

"My nerd!" the familiar raspy voice of Buford boomed through the forest. "What happened to my nerd!?"

"Buford!" Phineas exclaimed. "Where were you?"

"In a random creek," Buford looked really unimpressed.

"Well that explains why you're all wet," Isabella pointed out.

Buford was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, and black pants. Over top was traditional iron armour. He also had a sheath with a sword in it.

"Hello," Baljeet interrupted. "I am still up here."

"Hang on little buddy," Buford shouted up. "I'm gonna get you down from there."

"Little buddy? I am taller than you, Buford!"

Buford, ignoring Baljeet's comment, walked over to the tree where his best friend was perched. He began climbing, and he was fast. Buford climbed surprisingly fast and well despite of all his armour. When he made it to the top of the tree, he picked Baljeet up, and threw him to the ground.

"AHHHH!"

Baljeet hit the ground with a loud _thud_, and Buford jumped down, and landed sturdily next to him. Strangely, Baljeet did not seem to be injured by the fall. He didn't seem to be wearing any armour though.

"Aren't you fazed how he didn't get hurt?" Isabella asked the boys. "I mean, usually a fall like that would result with a broken bone."

"Yeah," Buford agreed. "You sucked the fun out of throwing you down the tree."

"You were on one of the highest branches," Phineas joined in. "How did you do it?"

Baljeet reached into the dark brown pouch he had tucked into his belt as four pairs of eyes watched him. He pulled out a small dark blue pouch and opened it. They all looked inside.

"Fairy dust!?" Buford burst out laughing. "He has fairy dust! We should've known it would be something so frilly!"

Phineas and Ferb exchanged looks while Isabella just awkwardly stood there, not knowing what to do.

"It is not 'fairy dust,' Buford," Baljeet told his best friend. "It is the 'pixie dust' that I found attached to my belt."

Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella couldn't help but facepalm as Buford started laughing even harder, if that was possible.

"What?" Baljeet asked, utterly confused.

"Pixie dust?" Isabella muttered under her breath. "Really?"

"Let's… go back to our clearing," Phineas suggested.

Ferb led the way back to the clearing where he found Phineas and Isabella. _Well, they're getting friendly._ He had thought when he found them under the tree.

Phineas went to follow Ferb, but as he took a step, he winced. He tried to ignore it, and he hoped no one noticed. But Isabella did.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Phineas replied, trying to act casual.

Buford pushed his way in front of Phineas and Isabella, and Baljeet followed him; he apologized 'for any inconvenience'. That left the two friends alone under the tree.

"Really Phineas," Isabella pried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Really," Phineas resisted the urge to scratch the back of his head, as he always does whenever he lied to Isabella – which wasn't very often.

"Phineas, I know you. Something's up. You can tell me."

"I said it's nothing. I just stepped on a stone."

"Alright," Isabella sighed as she gave up. She knew she'd never get anything out of him. She began walking back to the clearing and after a few seconds, Phineas jogged up to keep in step with her.

"What's with the staff?" he asked her.

"What staff?" Isabella thought her crush was going crazy.

"You know, the one strapped to your back?"

Isabella turned her head back as far as she could, and sure enough, there was a steel staff with diamonds encrusted along the top. She pulled it up and held it in front of her.

"You know what," she started, "I have absolutely no idea what this is or why it's significant to anything at all. But this is actually one of the most normal things to happen all day."

This caused Phineas to laugh. "You're not wrong. You know, that's one of the things I love about you. You're real. You tell the truth no matter what the consequences are, and you find a way to make a joke about it."

"If that's true," Isabella thought out her words carefully – Phineas just said he loved something about her – she didn't want to mess this up, "what are the consequences for that?"

Phineas thought for a second. "This," Phineas took off running back toward the tree Baljeet was stuck in. You would think that wouldn't be that bad, but oh no, there was a catch. Phineas had Isabella by the wrist, and was bringing her along with him.

"Hey!" Isabella laughed as they made it back to the tree. "You didn't have to do that, now my wrist hurts," she said as she mock rubbed her wrist.

"Alright, I'm sorry," Phineas apologized. "But now you have to race me back to the clearing."

"NO!" Isabella shouted. There was no way she was even going to think about running in her boots without any support.

Phineas laughed. "Fine, we'll just walk back," he tried to sound defeated.

They walked back to the clearing in silence. The only sounds were the subtle chatter of the wildlife, their footsteps through the crumbling leaves, and the clanking of Isabella's knives.

Isabella looked back at the staff she was holding. _What is this for? There has to be some purpose to this… and why do I have all these knives? Is it for self defense? In that case, why does everyone have something to defend themselves with except for Phineas? Why did he just drag me back to the tree after wincing? He couldn't have just gotten miraculously better; I know he didn't actually step on a stone._

Phineas looked over at his best friend. She was still examining her staff. _What was that earlier? _He was thinking about when he tried to walk, and when they ran back to the tree. _I felt pain, but at the same time I didn't… must just be a side effect. Maybe that's why we're all dressed so strangely. And when we ran back toward 'Baljeet's Tree,' what was I doing? I didn't want to run back to the clearing just yet. She looks so pretty in her new outfit…_

The two made it back to the clearing just in time to hear Buford complain about how hungry he was. And judging by the looks on Ferb and Baljeet's faces, he's been at it for a while.

"Oh, look!" Baljeet said, distracting Buford. "Phineas and Isabella are back! Maybe they have something to eat! And if they do not, Isabella has knives and a staff, all you need to do is find an animal!"

They all looked at Baljeet in shock. This was the level-headed kid who had won the model student award every year since preschool. He suggested killing an animal while sort of losing his sanity.

"You know what," Buford replied slowly, "I'm good."

"Baljeet, maybe you would like to sit down in the shade for a bit," Ferb suggested.

Baljeet did as instructed and observed his friends as they discussed what they would do next.

"I am actually getting kind of hungry."

"Me too."

"I could go for something to eat as well."

"But what would we eat?"

The group thought for a minute.

"I saw some raspberry bushes near the tree Baljeet was in," Isabella suggested.

"Perfect," Ferb said. "Phineas will get those, what else do we have to work with?"

Phineas was about to object when Buford cut in. "There are fish in the river. You get those, I ain't getting wet again."

"All right, so we have raspberries and fish," Ferb looked up at the sky. "I don't think we've been out for twenty minutes, it looks to be about 5:30. That doesn't seem like much of a dinner."

What do you expect, Ferb?" Phineas asked his step-brother. "We're in the middle of a forest."

"Well Buford can use his newly found climbing skills to see if there are any nuts in the trees," Isabella suggested.

Buford nodded. "I guess."

"That leaves you and Jeet," Ferb said, turning to Isabella. "He probably still needs a break, but we need a fire; how about you find some useful firewood, and Baljeet will set the fire."

"Sure," Isabella agreed. She handed Ferb the longest of her knives. "For the fish."

And with that, they split up.

Isabella searched around the area for firewood, when she came across a wild turkey. It looked mean and old. It locked eyes with her, and in an instant, it walked behind a tree, and disappeared from sight. A strange instinct came upon the girl.

She reached for one of her knives, and slowly followed the path the turkey took. As soon as she saw it, she expertly threw the knife and hit it directly in the heart.

Isabella waited a second, then approached the dead creature to retrieve her knife. She pulled out the red-stained knife, and picked up her catch.

_What did I just do!?_ Isabella thought, horrified.

She looked at the turkey, then at the knife in her other hand. She quickly put it back on her belt, and continued looking for firewood.

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><p><strong>AN: Again, I apologize for the long wait, but I hope this longer chapter makes up for it. I'm supposed to be doing my homework right now (memorizing some Shakespear stuff), so I can't really go over reviews right now. YOU ALL GET CUPCAKES! Bye!**


	8. Chapter 8: Insert Chapter Name Here

**A/N: Helloooo my triangular subjects! You like that? No? Good, neither did I. Before this chapter, I would like to get to the reviews I missed because of my poor time management skills.**

**Thank you Bovrilcat and sergeant peace for your supportive reviews - I really appreciate it. And for Phineas A... no, they are not dreaming. All of this is actually happening. *Pokes Phineas' head just to make sure* Yep, this is all really happening. You all get cupcakes!**

**(I'll come up with a cute chapter name later.)**

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><p>Phineas came back to the clearing to see a fire burning with Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford sitting around it.<p>

He was carrying a makeshift basket filled with raspberries. He sat down, leaning against the tree Isabella was at. He noticed the blood on one of her knives.

"WHAT HAPPENED!?" he shouted.

"Nothing," Isabella said simply, taking a raspberry from his basket and popped it into her mouth.

"Hey, it took me a while to pick those," Phineas defended his freshly picked berries.

"Yeah, it took you such a long time to pick a handful of measly berries, while it took me half the time to gather firewood, and catch this," Isabella held up her turkey.

"You caught that!? Wait, you _killed_ that!?" Phineas was so shocked. He never thought he'd see Isabella Garcia-Shapiro holding up a dead turkey. That she caught.

"Yes I did," Isabella said proudly. "And thanks to me, you're getting some meat tonight."

"What about the fish Ferb is catching?"

"Bigger feast," Isabella replied plainly, "and besides, we can't just bring it back to life now, we might as well put it to good use."

There was a slight rustling sound, then Ferb appeared through the bushes. He was carrying Isabella's knife in one hand, and two fish in the other.

"That's it?" Buford asked.

"Well, apparently when you said you 'saw some fish in the river,' you meant you saw dead fish floating at the surface," Ferb said looking extremely annoyed.

"You could have used the dead ones," Buford said. "They're already dead, it takes out the fish murder."

Ferb shook his head and handed the fish to Baljeet.

"What?" Buford asked confusedly.

Ferb ignored him and sat down against a tree across from Phineas and Isabella. He was soaking wet, and he looked relieved to sit down. The weight of his armour added to the wet clothes must have worn him out.

"Did you," Phineas started, "fall into the river, or something?"

"Why yes," Ferb sighed. "I walked into a dead fish, got startled, stepped back, and I walked into another. Let's just say the cycle continued until I slipped on a rock, and fell."

Baljeet laughed. "Better you than me."

Ferb raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? How would you like it if you lost all your fairy dust to a river?"

"_Pixie_ dust," Baljeet corrected.

This caused everyone to facepalm again.

Buford snickered as he walked over to Isabella. He picked up her turkey.

"Hey, what's Girlie doing with a dead turkey?" he asked aggressively.

Phineas stood up in front of Buford. "She caught it," he said defensively.

"I can see that," Buford took a step forward and narrowed his eyes.

Phineas did the same, his eyes were mere slits on his face. "Why would you ask, then?"

"I wanted to know why she wasn't sharing."

Phineas stepped back, opening his eyes properly in shock. "Seriously?" he laughed. "That's what this was about?"

"Yeah, I'm hungry, and I ain't eating any puny berries."

This made the whole group laugh. Of course Buford would prefer turkey over raspberries.

"Hey, Phineas pocked those," Isabella joined in.

"I know."

Phineas just stood there, not saying anything. There was no way he was getting in the middle of one of Isabella and Buford's arguments – those things are brutal.

Isabella turned to face Phineas. _And I'm about to be dragged in…_ Phineas thought.

"So you're only insulted when I insult your raspberries?" Isabella asked, then realized how ridiculous that sounded. She began laughing along with everyone else.

By the time the five friends finished their feast, it was getting dark, and the sunset was a beautiful mix of pink and violet hues. The fire was still burning, but would soon be put out as they would make their journey back home.

"Phineas," Baljeet started, "was it really necessary to kill those innocent animals when we could have just gone home to eat?"

"No," Phineas agreed, "but it gives more of a feeling like we actually live in the Stumbleberry Finkbat realm."

"Alright…"

Phineas was sitting beside Isabella on the opposite side of the clearing as everyone else. They sat there and finished watching the sun set through the lush, darkening forest.

"Well we should probably get going now," Ferb broke the silence as he stood up. Buford and Baljeet followed.

Phineas stood up and held his hand out to Isabella. She gladly took it, and let him help her up before standing beside him.

"Do you still have the portal, Ferb?"

Ferb just looked at his step-brother with a puzzled look on his face. _Is there something he's not telling me?_

"Ferb?"

"Oh!" Ferb's thoughts were interrupted when he remembered he was asked a question. "Yes, I do." Ferb went to reach into his pocket to retrieve the portal, then he realized he didn't have any. "Um… no, I don't."

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you all like the short chapter, it would be longer, but I have writers' block, a ton of studying to do, and I thought _Seam, why not end on a cliff hanger just to see everyone's reaction? Yep that's a good idea._ Muahahahaha.**

**(No, my name isn't actually Seam, but people have called me that in the past, and I kind of like it.)**

**Seam is out, peace!**


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